Washing-machine.



C. E. HOOVER.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001211, 1912..

1,099,370. Patented June 9,1914.

3 SHEETS-BEEET l.

www i fjmw/ C. E. HOOVER.

- WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.11,1912.

VPatented June 9, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NVENTR u MMU C. E. HOOVER.

WASHING MAGHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 0012.11. 1912..

18.399,370, Patented June 9, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

[N VEN TOR sm 5 E jlmmn/ www g 7 A/tarney CHARLES E. HOOVER, OF STRASBURG, IPENNSYLVANIA.

` WASHING-MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 9., 19111.

Application led October 11, 1912. Serial No. 725,212.

T0 all 'whom t may concern Be itknown that I, CHARLES E. I-Ioovnvn, a citizen .of the United States, residing at Strasburg, in the county of Lancaster and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing- Machines; and I dohereby declarcthe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in washing machines, one object of the invention being to so construct a washing machine,ithat it can be operated as a machine of the pounder type, eras a machine of the y agitato-r type, or as a machine of the alternating rotary rubber type.

A further object is to so construct the machine that a rubbing board and agitators maybe operated .either separately or simultaneously.

A further object is to construct the machine in such manner that all of the operations above mentioned can be accomplished by the same motion of a single power-applying means.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. l

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is v,agsectional View of a washing machine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line m of Fig. 1; Fig. '3 is a sectional view on the line y--g/ of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line .e--z of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a plan View; Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the operating devices connected with the upper rubberboard or pounder and agitators; Fig. 7 is a View ot'said operating devices in elevation, showing the parts adjusted for reciproc'ating the pounder; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the bottom rubber board; Fig. 9 is a plan View showing the upper rubber board or pounder with the valve in place thereon;

Fig. l10 is a detail view of the yielding centra] member of the lower rubber board, and Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail View showing thebracket or spider which carries the agitator arms.

'1 represents a tub provided-with a cover 2 hinged at one edge to an inwardlyeprojecting flange 3,-a latch device 4 being provided for the free edge of the cover and a loop or handheld 5 is also provided on the cover for raising the latter and the mechanism carried thereby to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the cover and operating mechanism are elevated, they will be sustained in such position so that the The cover 2 is provided centrally with an i enlargement 11 and a tapering hole 12 and over said enlargement, a horizontally disposed gear 13 is located and provided with a depending` hub portion 14 which enters the hole 12, anti-friction balls 15 being located between the inner wall of said enlargement and the gear at the juncture of the depending hub portion 11 with the'body of the gear. The gear is made with a central angular hole through `which two vertical bars 16-17 pass. The lower end of the bar 16 is provided with a threaded shank 18 to enter a threaded socket in the center of an upper rubber board or pounder 19. A collar 2O in the center of abracket or spider 21, embraces the lower portions of the two bars 16.17 and is securely fastened to the bar 17 by means of a bolt 22. The bracket or spider 21 carries a plurality of agitators 23 which pass through holes 24 in the upper rubber or pounder 19. The central portion of the pounder 19 is made with an upward bulge 25 where it is attached to the bar 1G and the body of said pounder is made with, a corrugated under faceas shown in Fig. 1 and with several sets of annular series of perforations 26-27-28 which are normally closed by valve rings 29-30--31- These valve rings have free vertical movement toopen the perforations in the pounder when the latter is moved downwardly and the rings 29 and 30 are limited in such vertical movement by means of stop arms or lugs 32 secured to the pounder between said valve rings 29-30. The upward movement of the inner valve ring 31 is limited by stop arms 33 projecting from a ring or plate 3a held between the 110 central bulged pdrtion of the pounder and the shoulder at the upper end of the shank 18 on bar 16.

rlhe upper rubber or pounder 19 is intended to coperate with a bottom board or rub-A ber 35 located in the bottom of the tub and elevated somewhat from the bottom of the tub by means of feet 36. The bottom board or rubber may be made of sheetmetal and is corrugated circumferentially and also radially and is made with several annular series of. perforations 37, which may be'formed by first making slits and then depressing the metal at one side of each slit, asv indicated at 38 Fig. 8. rlhus the perforations are located at the sides of the circumferential corrugations of the rubber, so that when the pounder -is reciprocated vertically during the operaof the lower board. This dome consists of a 42 in said socket member,

hollow.. shell having a plurality of slots 39 and provided with a flanged base portion 40 disposed in a socket member 41. A spring serves to press the dome upwardly to the position shown in Fig.1.,. When the machine -is in operation,

the'dome 38 will prevent the clothes collectpressed ing centrally between the boards, ybut as said dome is yieldably supported, it can be deby the upper board or pounder (or by the lower end of the bar 16 to which said vboard or pounder is secured) and thus said upper board or pounder will not by the dome in its downward movements toward the .lower board or rubber.

My improvements contemplate means for relatively adjusting the pounder and agitatorsg means for imparting alternating rotary motion to both the pounder and the agitators; means for vertically reciprocatingA the pounder independently of the agitators or simultaneously therewith, and means'for imparting alternating rotary motion to the agitators andfsimu'ltaneously vertically reciprocating the pounder,'all of said operating mea-ns bein actuated from'the same initial source o power. The mechanism lwhereby the variousl results above enumerated may loe accomplished, will now be described..

`The=fbar 16 to which theupper vboard or pounder 19 isv secured, extendsupwardly above thegearg13 and is provided on its innerside with a plurality of projections 43, forming sockets or recesses 44 and the projections 43 are provided with sockets 45.

be limited rllle bar 17 also extends above the gear 13 and is enlarged as at 46, this enlarged portion being made approximately semi-circular in cross section and provided in its inner at face witha vertical groove 47 into which the enlarged socketed portion of the bar 16 rojects, one of said bars thus constituting a guide for the other. Anl approximately semi-circular plate 48 loosely embraces that portion of the bar 16 whichprojects above the gear 13 and is provided with `parallel segmental flanges 49. The plate 48 is-provided at its upper end with lugsor hooks 50 which serve as bearings-for a locking bar 51 adaptedto engage in one or another of the recesses 44 of bar 16 and lock the plate 48 to the bar-16 at 'any desired adjustment. rlhe semi-circular plate 48 and the semicircular portion 46 of bar 17 cooperate to form a cylindrical structure which passes ythrough and is guided by a ring 52 at the upper end of a standard 53; the base of the latter being provided with flanges 54 secured to the cover 2. The standard 53 is provided near its bottom with a lug 55 which projects sufficiently over'the 'gear 13v to prevent upward'displacement of the latter.` A

locking block 56 is adj ustably mounted upon kthe gear 13 and is adapted to overhang a flange 57 at the base of the enlarged part 46 of bar 17 as shown in Fig. 7 to prevent vertical movement of said bar and the agitators .attached thereto, or said locking block 56 may be adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 6, `to permit vertical movement of the bar 17 and the agitators.

Should it 'be desired to adjust the upper l,

rubber or pounder 19 relatively to the agitators so that the latter will be caused to 'project a greater or less distance through or beyond the former, and cause said pounder and agitators to reciprocate vertically together, this may be accomplished bypassing a pin 58 transversely through a hole near the upper end of the part 46and causing it to enter one of the sockets 45 of bar 16.

A bracket59 is secured upon the cover 2 near the gear 13 and affords .a .bearing 60 for a shaft 61, a bearing 62 being also provided for said shaft near Ithe periphery of the cover. The shaft 61 is provided at. one end with a crank arm 63 carrying a roller 64 disposed'between the segmental flanges 49 of plate 48, and to the outer end of said shaft, a wheel v6.5 is secured. This whel may be provided witha handle 66 whereby it may be normally operated, or said wheel may be provided with gear teeth 67 to receive motion from a gear 68 tov be driven,

from any suitable motor,-or both manual and power operating means may be provthe plate 48 and that if said plate be coupled to the bar 16 by means of the locking bar 51, said bar 16, and the upper board or pounder willalso be reciprocated vertically causing said pounder to alternately apply pressure. to the clothes between the two boards and to relieve such pressure, and at the same time to cause a circulation of water through and among the clothes which will effectually clean them.

`A` shaft 69 is mounted in suitable bearings 70 on the cover 2 and carries a rack bar 71 adapted to mesh with the gear 13. The shaft 69 is provided at one end with anarm 72 (disposed at right angles thereto) and to this arm, one end of a pitman 7 3 is pivot-ally attached theother end of the pitman 73 being pivotally and removably attached (by meansof a latch device 74,) to a crank arm 75 of the shaft 61. By means of this construction, rotation of the shaft 61 will cause reciprocation of the shaft 69 and 4the rack bar 71 carried thereby, and motion will be transmitted by the rack bar to the gear 13 to oscillate the lat-ter, thus imparting an oscillatory mo tion to the agitators. Such oscillatory motion will also be imparted to the upper rubber or pounder `and the clothes will be agin tated between the two boards 19 and 35, and the clothes will also be rubbed' by reason of the opposing corrugated faces of the two boards or rubbers.

If the mechanism is connected as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and the parts are adjusted as shown in Fig. 6; operationof thel shaft 61 will cause alternating rotary motion of both the upper board or pounder and also the agitators, and simultaneously with this y operation, the upper board or pounder will be .reciproeated vertically.

Should it be desired to operate the upper board as a pounder only; viz. to reciprocate said upper board vertically without imparting alternating'rotary motion to it and With-- out imparting such motion to the agitators, the parts 46 and 48 will be disconnected by removing the pin 58 and the locking block 56 will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 7, to overhang the flange 57 and thus prevent vertical movement of the bar. The operator will also disconnect the pitman 73 from the crank arm 75 and then partially rotate said shaft to cause a tooth 76 thereon to engage the gear 13 and preventt from rotating. When the shaft 69 has been thus partially rotated, the pitman will lie upon the cover 2 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 (where it may be held by a clip 77) and the arm 72 will lie in a horizontal position adjacent to a stop pin 78 on the cover 2. rIhe mechanism for impart-ing alternating rotary motion to the pounder and agitators will now have been disconnected and locked, and the operation of the shaft 61 will cause only the vertical reciprocation of the upper board or pounder 19.

whereby they may be actuated simultanef ously or separately.

2. In a washing machine, the combination` with a tub, of a sheet metal bottom rubber board having circumferential. and also radial corrugations, said rubber board having openings in portions' of the radial corrugations which form parts of the circumferential corrugations, a pounder board having perforations, upwardly opening valves for said perforations, and means for vertically reciprocatingsaid pounder board.

3. In a washing machine, the combination with a tub provided with a cover, of a corrugated pounder board, agitators passing through the same, bars passing through the cover and secured respectively to said pounder board and agitators, a gear for rotating said bars, an ope-rating shaft having two crank arms, connections between one of saidcrank arms and the gear for imparting alternating rotary motion to the latter, and connections between the other crank arm and one of said bars for vertically reciprocating the po-undcr board.

4f. .In a washing machine, the combination with a tub and a cover therefor, of a pounder board, agitators, bars connected respectively with lthe pounder board and the agitators, means for adjustably coupling said bars, and means for reciprocating said bars.

5. In a washing machine, the combination with a tub and a cover therefor, of apounder board, agitators, bars connected respectively with the pounder board and agitators and passing through the cover, means for reciprocating the bar which is connected with loo the pounder' board, operating means for imparting alternating rotary motion to the bar which is connected with the agitators, and means for locking said `operating means.

6. In a washing machine, the combination with a tub and a cover therefor, of two bars passing through the cover, a pounder board secured to one 'of said bars, agitators carried by the other bar, a gear connected with said bars, a locking block adjustably mounted on said gear, a flange on the agitator bar and adapted to cooperate with said locking block, means for imparting alternating rotary motion to said bars, and means for reciprocating the bar of the pounder board. y

7. In a washing machine, the combinaand means for imparting alternating rotary tion with a rtub and a cover therefor, of a' gear mounted on said cover, .two bars pass' ing freely through said gear and rotatable said last-.mentioned bar therewith, agitators connected with one of said bars, a pounder board connected with the other bar, said last-mentioned bar' having a series of notches a plate embracing a locking bar mounted on said plate and adapted to enter aznotch of the -notched bar for coupling they latter to said plate, parallel segmental flanges on said plate, an operating shaft, and a crank arm on said shaft to enter be. tween said parallel segmental flanges, whereby the pounder board may be recipro'cated,

" motion to said gear to alternately-rotate the pounder board and the agtators.

lK8. In a washing machine, -the combination with 'a tub and a cover therefor, of a gear mounted on the cover, twoI bars passing through said gear and rotatable therewith, one of said bars having an enlar ed part above the gear, said enlarged par having a vertical groove in its inner face the other bar having a portion entering said groove l and provided with -a plurality of socket-s,

1 means for coupling said enlarged portion of one of the bars with. the socketed portion of the other bar, agitators secured to one 'of said bars, a pounder board secured to the other bar, means for imparting alternately rotary motion to said gear, and meansconnected with the socketed bar for reciprocating the same.\ p V 4 9. In a washing machine, the combination with a tuband a cover therefor, ofa noemer/o gear mounted on said cover, two bars passing through said gear and rotatable 'there- 'with, agitators carried by one of said bars,

a ounder board secured to the other bar, ai

crank shaftl operatively connected with the last-mentioned bar lfor reciprocating it, a shaft mounted'on the cover and provided -with a rack bar to 1nes,hwith.` the gear, a `tooth on said shaft to engage the gear when the shaft is rocked, for locking said gear,

otedat one end to said arm, and means removably vconnecting the'other` end of saidl pitmanwith a crank of said crank shaft.

10. In' a washing machine, the combination with a tub and a pounder board having a raised central portion, of a bottom board, and a, yieldable dome located ino the center an arm securedto said shaft, a pitman piv-u of said bottom board and adapted to env 'gage the under face of the pounder board -in the raised central part thereof.

11. In a washing machine, the tion with a tub and a corrugated pounder combinaboard, of a corrugated bottom board,I a perforatedvertically movable dome rising above the bottom boardv under the center of the --pounder board, and a spring normally press- Witnesses: 5

WM. S. CQULTER, i BENJ. F.' DAVIS, Jr. g 

